You are the Average

I’ve heard it a million times – an oft-repeated quote by entrepreneur and business philosopher, Jim Rohn...

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

Based on that average, I like who I am. I spend the bulk of my week with my two dogs, my personal trainer friend Silvia who kicks my ass on Mondays and Wednesdays, my good friend Liz, who I walk with in the evenings and on a weekly call with my accountability buddy, Rebecca. Weekends are a different story… a mash-up of friends meeting for some live music, a hike or a backyard BBQ, but the workweek is voluntarily spent in near isolation besides the above-mentioned 5 souls.

During the workweek I’m WORKING - writing mostly, and I’ve discovered that besides my top 5 beings, I’m also likely the sum of the top 5 podcasts I burn through each week. What genius invented podcasts? I’d like to lay a fat, sloppy kiss on them in gratitude for the level of audible quality I consume daily that enriches my life a million-fold. Here’s a little ode to my top 5 favorites…

My acceptance and appreciation of the broad spectrum of human sexuality and relationship styles, as well as the enhancement of my own sex-positive attitude is due to the brilliant, hilarious and fabulous, Mr. Dan Savage and his Savage Lovecast. May he live forever. Amen.

The spritely banter between Emily Thompson and Kathleen Shannon on Being Boss empowers me to be a sexy, colorful badass female entrepreneur. From the humble and generous offerings of these business savvy foxes, I glean valuable insight into being “boss as shit” in all areas of life. Listening to their weekly show has unlocked doors of entrepreneurial awesomeness that I never previously knew existed. In short, I heart them.

Lewis Howes is a champion athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur and on his show he interviews heavy-hitting guests like Lisa Nichols, Larry King, Gary V, Tony Robbins, Marianne Williamson, Elizabeth Gilbert and Stacey London. Having been listening for almost a year now, it hasn't sucked being regularly mentored by such inspiring icons of success, savoring their answers to some of life’s most profound questions.

I eagerly await each new Conversations with Gangaji episode so that I may sit monthly at the feet of one of my favorite spiritual teachers. Since I first heard her speak back in 2004, she’s been helping me break the human experience down in meaningful and tangible ways. Best of all, she seems to exist outside the realm of ego - a refreshing unicorn among spiritual celebrities.

I hadn’t expected to enjoy this podcast as much as I do, but the verbal-linguistic intelligence housed within Alanis Morissette is absolutely mindboggling. Eloquent, well-spoken and hyperconscious, listening to Alanis and her exemplary guests is like sitting before a panel of the world’s most notable therapists, evolutionary psychologists and psychiatrists. Top-notch therapeutic inquiry… for free.

So there you have it. If I am indeed the average of the five beings I spend most of my time with, along with the influence of the 5 podcasts I listen to most regularly, then I’d say I’ve got a fairly well-rounded buffet of inspiration to draw from.

Questions to Ponder

Who are the top 5 people you spend the majority of your time with?

How do they positively or perhaps not-so-positively impact you?

Is there room to add a new person to the mix or change things up a bit?

What other sources feed you creatively, spiritually, mentally and professionally throughout your week?